Tourists line up to sniff corpse flower in Belgium

TOURISTS have flocked to Belgium for the chance to visit a rare and huge plant that has been described as smelling like a decomposing animal. It has bloomed just three times since 2008.

AAP

AAPJuly 10, 20138:39am

TOURISTS are lining up in Belgium for the chance to visit a huge, foul-smelling plant.

The national botanical garden was staying open until dusk for a second day to give as many people as possible a view of the titan arum - also known as the corpse flower - that's towering over the visitors.

At the heart of the flower a huge column rises upward to the sky and is responsible for the smell that resembles a decomposing animal.

The rare Sumatran plant has now flowered three times since 2008, a feat in itself. At its height this year, it measured 2.44 metres.